As part of the PERMA model
we started last week I would like to discuss the first letter
P:
P - Positive
Emotions
If you think logically about it,
positive emotions are about feeling good and therefore it is the
quickest path to finding happiness. But in our day and age,
positive emotions are fleeting and few and far in between, but they
are still very important. Therefore, we need to make a conscious
effort in finding them. They are all part and parcel of what Jesus
came to give us, but sometimes we get so lost in the demands of
this world that we lose sight of them. It is then that we need to
look for them again and open our hearts to receiving it. First,
let's just have a look at a few positive emotions: faith, joy,
hope, empathy, gratitude, and the greatest of all, love. For God is
love, and in Him is all good things. God wants us to dwell and to
savor positive emotions. He created them. Of course there comes
times when we might be angry or upset, we can use those emotions
too, but the quicker we can bounce back to positive emotions the
better for us and our overall well-being.
Fortunately, there are a couple of
ways to cultivate more positive emotions in our lives:
- Make a list of things that make you happy. Write on the list
things that can easily be done on a weekly/monthly basis. For
example, you like to spend time alone with God, you like to
exercise, you love romantic movies, you enjoy baking, you love
chocolate chip ice cream, you love reading action novels, you love
creamy coffee, or you love watching and playing sports. Whatever
the case may be. But it must be controllable things that you enjoy.
Do not put things on your list that are dependent on others; for
example, it makes you happy if your kids get along with one
another. Now that might make you happy, but you have no control
over it. So do not put it on your list. Rather, put things on your
list that you enjoy doing and that you have full control over. Then
do it on purpose. Make sure that you get to your happy list on a
regular basis. Make a point to do at least one of the things on
your list every day, and while you are doing it, consciously think
how happy this makes you feel. This is truly powerful and will
allow for regular positive emotions to flow through you. God has
blessed us with so many things to enjoy in our lives, and we need
to make sure that we do themJ.
- Despite all the negativity all around you, make sure to listen
to positive messages too. Try to listen to Christian podcasts
regularly. Hearing of Jesus and how wonderful He is and about what
He has done for you truly opens doors in your heart to experience
positive emotions. We need to hear positive messages regularly,
despite all the negative news surrounding us.
- Practice gratitude on a regular basis. Frequently write down or
simply meditate on things in your life that you can be grateful
for. Also, try to think of different things to be grateful for
every day. We all have so much to be grateful for, so do not think
of the same things every day. When we think of things to be
grateful for and express it, our brain releases dopamine and
serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our
emotions, and they make us feel "good." They enhance our mood
immediately, making us feel happy from the inside (https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/
- 3 March 2022). Allow me to share the following quotes with you
about gratitude; they are truly profound and can impact your life
in such a rewarding way:
- "Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn
routine jobs into joy and transform ordinary opportunities into
blessings." Proverb - (https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/
- 3 March 2022)
- "Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our
hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we
have we will not be happy-because we will always want to have
something else or something more." Br. David Steindl-Rast (https://gratefulness.org/resource/what-is-gratitude/
- 3 March 2022)
- "We cannot be grateful for all that a given moment brings us;
yet, in any given moment, we can be grateful for something. The
gift within the gift of any given moment is opportunity." Br. David
Steindl-Rast (https://gratefulness.org/resource/what-is-gratitude/
- 3 March 2022)
- "Grateful living is important in the world because in our
constant pursuit of more and better we can easily lose sight of the
riches that lay right in front of us and within us." Guri Mehta (https://gratefulness.org/resource/what-is-gratitude/
- 3 March 2022)
The Bible also exalts gratefulness.
God knows how important it is for our well-being. There are many
verses, but allow me to just highlight two of them:
"In everything give thanks; for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians
5:18).
"So you shall rejoice in every
good thing which the Lord your God has given to you and your house"
(Deuteronomy 26:11).
Gratefulness is an essential key to
happiness and to living a flourishing life. There is a richness
locked inside that is priceless. Cling on to that and make sure
that you express your gratitude on a daily basis.
- We will talk about relationships in the next devotions, but I
would just like to briefly mention here that you must make sure
that you have friends who can make you feel good about yourself and
who will help to evoke positive emotions in your life. If you are
surrounded by negative people all the time it will drag you down.
People with low energy levels will sap you of yours. Of course God
wants us to interact with all people to bring them closer to Him,
but make sure that you have godly friends close to you who will
lift you up and bring you even closer to God where all positive
emotions reside. Make close friends on purpose with people who lift
you up. They will help elevate you. Research has shown that you
become a lot like the five people you interact with the most.
Therefore, choose wisely who you allow into your inner circle. It
will truly impact your world more than you think.
- Laugh. Try to laugh as much as you can. As Victor Hugo
says:
"Laughter is the sun that
drives winter from the human face." (
https://ir5.irishnight.org/bible-verse-that-says-laughter-is-the-best-medicine/
- 3 March 2022)
The Bible affirms this and says
that laughter is the best medicine that there is: "A merry
heart does good like medicine" (Proverbs 17:22).
Research also shows that humor can
help to assist with academic excellence. Students who studied with
humor achieved much higher marks than those who didn't. (www.hannahfitzsimmons2018wordpress.com
- 3 March 2022)
This applies to all areas in life.
Humor makes life so much easier and more manageable. It also keeps
you healthy like the Bible just taught us. A couple of years ago, I
homeschooled my youngest son for a year. He has a great sense of
humor, whilst I am more serious about academics and I wanted to get
the work done asap. But he always wanted to make a joke first. In
the beginning I was so annoyed and simply started working, but God
reprimanded me and said that I must loosen up, learn from my son,
and enjoy life in between all the chores. I listened and really
enjoyed his humor and laughed more than I had in a decade. It was
good for me and taught me to see the lighter side of life. I mean,
look at all the different funny-looking monkeys and fishes that God
created; some of them are truly comical to look at! God has a very
good sense of humor. Therefore, try to see amusing things all
around you. Spend time on purpose with people who make you laugh or
look at clean comedy shows that are funny or even try to laugh at
yourself! It is truly liberating. As my father always says: "Tread
lightly in life, do not take it so seriously, then you will do
well."
(Excerpt from
Flourishing: God's Way by Ilze Henderson)